Bahrain National Day

Mohammed Almatrook entrepreneur

‘Bahrain National Day is a great day in Bahrain. There is usually a show of traditional Bahraini music in the Exhibition Centre here and the entire country has a carnival atmosphere. For many people, Bahrain National Day is a time to be with their families and celebrate the country that we live in. Eating is, of course, a big part of this, and families will tend to dine out on this occasion.

‘For Bahrainis, Bahrain National Day is a time to pay respect to our King, and to express their love for their country. Bahrain is a wonderful country, and I feel very fortunate to have been born here. The best thing about Bahrain is that it is an open country, much more so than the rest of the GCC, and this helps to attract people from all over the world. I don’t think I am the only person who likes Bahrain: I have a lot of friends who planned to come to Bahrain for one year and ended up staying much longer.

‘Bahrain’s best assets are the fact this it is an island, and it feels like a vacation spot. The sun and the sea combined make this one of the most beautiful places in the region. Though we need to do more to preserve the natural beauty of the country, and not develop it too much, as reclamation is not always a good thing.

‘The Bahraini people also make this place a great place to live. I think we are a pretty friendly people, and we are always willing to listen and to talk, which is not always the case in other GCC countries. Part of this comes from the fact we have a very small population, and have a tradition and heritage of welcoming people from diverse backgrounds, but it is good that this sense of hospitality has been preserved.

‘The major downside to Bahrain has to be the traffic. However many new roads the government builds, there seems to be no end to the traffic in this country. And if Bahrain does want to develop further, then solutions to this will need to be found. But the country does have a bright future, I’m sure of it. It is rich now, and I am only hoping that Bahrainis will continue to get richer.’